Robin E. Mason's Blog: Robin's Book Shelf, page 181

Wednesday Wisdom – CREATED

Source: Wednesday Wisdom – CREATED

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 8 March 2017 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – LOVE AT FIRST LAUGH – MULTI-AUTHOR SET

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WREADING WEDNESDAY – LOVE AT FIRST LAUGH – MULTI-AUTHOR SET

 

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Dive into eight brand new contemporary Christian romantic comedies from some of your favorite inspirational authors.

From light-hearted romance to laugh-out-loud love, this set will put a smile on your face and keep you reading long into the night.

Second Impressions by award-winning author Pepper Basham

He likes streamline. She prefers embellishments. His forte is business. Hers is atmosphere. Will they realize each has what the other needs most to create the perfect romance with a touch of Jane Austen flair?

Mowed Over by USA Today bestselling author Christina Coryell

A tiny, chatty fairy artist with multicolored pastel hair. A burly, bearded landscaper who can’t get a word in edgewise. They have nothing in common, but is that enough to keep them apart?

An Informal Affair by award-winning author Heather Gray

She’s tired of waiting for happily-ever-after, so she takes matters into her own hands…with online dating. He has the worst bad-date streak ever. How will God show two people who are determined to do things their own way that He’s had a perfect plan all along?

A Heart Restored by Elizabeth Maddrey

She renovates old houses. Can he restore her heart?

Unleashing Love by Jessica R. Patch

She’s a dog walker who agrees to a full-time position caring for a puppy. In total shock, she’s handed a precious baby girl. He’s a construction mogul who’s taken his infant niece into temporary relative placement — keyword: temporary. Unless the sassy southern nanny can change his mind…and his heart.

A (nearly) Normal Nanny by Krista Phillips

Normal is highly overrated…

That’s When I Knew by award-winning author Laurie Tomlinson

When two childhood sweethearts find themselves thrown together on the road to a trade show that could save her career, past mistakes threaten to ruin her chances–and the possibility of rekindling a romance. Will the end of the summer find them apart once again?

A Time to Laugh by USA Today bestselling author Marion Ueckermann

When an unexpected inheritance and a lung disease diagnosis coincide, a missionary couple realizes God is telling them it’s time to retire. But sometimes retirement comes with strings attached. Will their life-long dream be a blessing or a curse?

 

 

 

 

 

#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday, Love at First Laugh, Multi-Author Boxed Set,  Second Impressions, Mowed Over, An Informal Affair, A Heart Restored, Unleashing Love, A (nearly) Normal Nanny, That’s When I Knew, A Time to Laugh

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 7 March 28 February 2017 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – BRIGID OF IRELAND by CINDY THOMSON

BLOGWORDS – Tuesday 7 March 28 February 2017 – TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – BRIGID OF IRELAND by CINDY THOMSON


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TUESDAY REVIEWS-DAY – BOOK REVIEW – BRIGID OF IRELAND by CINDY THOMSON

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When God places His call and purpose on your life, it’s there before time. It’s there at the moment of birth, indeed from before birth.

Such was the life of Brigid of Ireland.

 

 

In a world where fear and pagan religion dominates, one girl takes hold of the “new religion,” Christianity, and she is changed.

And so is Ireland.

 

With a faith that is the very definition of faith—trust, confidence, knowing—Brigid brings about miracles while deflecting the notion it is by some power she herself wields. As druid opposition grows stronger, so does her faith. And as she faces ever greater challenges, that faith sees her through.

 

 

Ms. Thomson has brought to life a person and an era dear to this reviewer’s heart—lover of all things Irish—and this tale has settled deep in my soul. Ms. Thomson portrays the life of a girl in the shadow of St. Patrick, a servant girl whose very existence and identity are questionable. She has pulled threads of myth and history, and woven in fantasy to create a vivid telling of the legend of a girl who surely existed, giving a life to the legend. Brigid of Ireland is a believable account of life in the 5th century, the primitive accommodations, the ever-present threat of slave owners over slaves. I was so immersed and so enjoyed this read, I’m sure I’m a fan of all of Ms. Thomson’s books.

 

 

 

I purchased this book on Amazon. I offer my review of my own volition, The opinions expressed in my review are my own honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

 

 

I’m a full-time writer dedicated to telling the legacy left to us by those went before.

I write historical fiction, genealogy-related articles, history articles, and short stories. I’m also a baseball fan. My favorite team is the Cincinnati Reds, but I have a soft spot for

the Cubs who hadn’t won a World Series since my cousin pitched for them in 1908…until 2016!

 

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#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, Brigid of Ireland, Cindy Thomson, Daughters of Ireland, Pages of Ireland, The Roots of Irish Wisdom

BLOGWORD – 6 March 2017 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – EILEEN HINKLE RIFE

BLOGWORD – 6 March 2017 – NEW WEEK NEW FACE – EILEEN HINKLE RIFE
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NEW WEEK NEW FACE – EILEEN HINKLE RIFE

 

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Marital Secrets

 

Regret barged into the bedroom and refused to leave. Like one of the boxes Celeste had carried from their trailer to their new house, a dark secret weighed heavy on her heart, especially in the last year. She surveyed the pile of cartons beside the bed and located the one marked “Framed Pictures.” Tearing away the tissue paper, she smoothed her hand over the cool glass surface lodged inside the pewter frame, corners adorned with inlaid sapphires. A bride and groom smiled back at her. Mr. and Mrs. Joe Tatem.

 

In my novel, Masquerade, Celeste’s secret not only damages her emotionally but also affects her marriage to Joe. In her case, sharing the secret with Joe would be a healthy step, though difficult and not without stress. That’s why she’s “gone into hiding” for the five years they’ve been married. Since the secret affects her ability to carry children, and Joe wants kids badly, she forces herself to tell him. Just when she works up the courage, tragedy strikes, ushering her to a place she never expected, ultimately meeting another who holds a key to her past . . . and her future.

 

But is it appropriate or desirable to divulge a marital secret in every instance?

 

Let’s take a look at a specific situation with the help of my husband, Chuck, who’s worked as a licensed professional counselor and marriage/family therapist for 30 years. The scope of secrets takes many forms, but the most devastating involve affairs. In general, letting the spouse know about an affair is important for several reasons.

First, it alerts the spouse to possible sexually transmitted diseases, and secondly, it shows moral integrity and prayerfully, the willingness to be accountable. Better s/he find out from the spouse than from a third party. With layers of accountability in place and steps toward healing via counseling, other same-sex godly believers, support group, and media monitoring, trust can be restored. If the spouse stays in hiding about the affair, the roots of the sin and underlying dysfunction fueling the sin remain untreated.

Sometimes, the first person a mate tells will be a trusted pastor or counselor who then can guide the spouse in the appropriate steps to take. A same-sex accountability partner plays a vital role in providing assessment, encouragement, and prayer support. On occasion, the offended spouse may not be able to hear or deal with the mate’s confession. If this is the case, the offender with help must gauge the relationship. If the offended spouse is already the jealous, immature type, s/he likely won’t receive the news well. After all, it’s difficult for anyone, but especially hard for an immature person. Thus, sharing can vary according to the tolerance level of the offended mate.

 

 

A primary question for both spouses is are you drawing your security and significance from God’s love for you, and then giving to each other out of that overflow (Matt.22:37-39)? Since Masquerade opens with Celeste and Joe as unbelievers, they have no solid foundation from which to find their personal worth and identity. A spouse confident in God’s love does not depend on his mate to be God in his life. That spot is reserved for God and God alone. The resulting love between spouses will then be greater than their need for one another.

 

Some questions to ask when considering whether to share a marital secret . . .

 

If I share this with my mate, will it bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31)? If a spouse wakes up one morning with lustful thoughts, s/he may ask for prayer support, again, if the spouse is mature enough to handle it, but not share the specific details. Chuck and I are free enough in our relationship to do this. However, we each also have accountability partners with whom to share.

 

Will sharing the secret help me pursue the perfect will of God (Romans 12:1-2)?

 

Will I take what is shared to the foot of the Cross and allow God’s grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ to cover the offense (Ephesians 4:32)? Ultimately and prayerfully, this is the place where we each must come and lay our deepest, darkest marital secrets.

 

In doing so, we can experience Jesus’ blood washing us clean. The One who said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” understands the pain of betrayal. He doesn’t white-wash the offense or deny it. However, He does make the choice to forgive it. In following His steps, we can be free when a spouse comes clean about a marital secret, and s/he can be clean spiritually. Certainly, this is not an easy journey for any of us, or for my Masquerade protag, Celeste, but the path to healing is crucial if we are to experience grace and peace in our lives and in our marriages. And sometimes this means we choose to share a marital secret if it will ultimately foster deeper intimacy.

 

 

 

Eileen Rife, author of Masquerade, speaks to women’s groups, encouraging them to discover who they are in Christ and what part they play in His Kingdom story. She and husband Chuck conduct marriage seminars internationally. Their three daughters and families serve the Lord in fulltime mission work around the world.

 

Links:

 

http://www.eileenrife.com/

http://eileen-rife.blogspot.com/

http://guardyourmarriage.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/EileenRifeBooks/

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003O405FO

 

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#Blogwords, New Week New Fact, #NWNF, Guest Post, Eileen Hinkle Rife, Healing from an Affair, Accountability, Forgiveness, Christian Fiction, Masquerade, Second Chance

 

BLOGWORDS – Sunday 5 March 2017 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THE MASTER POTTER

BLOGWORDS – Sunday 5 March 2017 – FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THE MASTER POTTER
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FRONT PORCH FELLOWSHIP – THE MASTER POTTER

This week I borrow a prophetic word I read Friday on Facebook.

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THE MASTER POTTER

by Elaine Tavolacci

The Holy Spirit showed me a lump of clay on a potter’s wheel. The potter began to spin the wheel as he molded and shaped the piece of clay as he formed it.

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When making pottery on a potter’s wheel, the clay has to first be centered, then water is applied before the potter begins his creation. The potter then shapes the clay into the image that he desires. There are different wheels used to create different vessels. The Lord has designed each one of us in a distinct way with a specific calling. Each person is created for a unique purpose and plan.

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The Lord told Jeremiah to go down to the Potters house to give him a prophetic illustration. When he went, he had seen the potter making something at the wheel. The clay vessel that the potter had made was marred in his hands; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make.

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Many people don’t understand the process of the potter’s wheel. The potter’s wheel is not to judge us or punish us, but it is to form us into the masterpiece that Jesus has created us to be.

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The Lord says; just as the potter designs each clay pot into different shapes and sizes, I have designed and created every individual. Every person has been born with a unique purpose and plan. Each of you have been strategically designed for a particular purpose, and I will work with each of you in a specific way.

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Do not fear the potter’s wheel and do not refuse it, for this is My workmanship. This is the place where I am molding you and conforming you into My image. This is the place where all impurities and defilement will be destroyed and all bruises and blemishes will be erased.

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This is the place where the rough edges will be smooth out, broken vessels will be restored and old mindsets will be dismantled. Afflictions, traumas and misfortunes from the past will be removed, and dreams will be birth and brought forth.

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This is the place where your mind will be renewed and you will learn to walk in integrity and maturity. This place is necessary for your spiritual growth to bring forth the gifts that I have placed on the inside of you.

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Do not refuse the work on the potters wheel but allow Me to transform you as I shape your life and destiny. Trust Me when the process seems too difficult. Don’t say that this is an uncomfortable place, but know that it is for your benefit and it is necessary to bring you in to the fulfillment of My plans. Do not resist the work that I am doing on the inside of you, but allow Me to accomplish My perfect will through you.

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Allow Me to work with you and fashion you into My image. I Am the master potter and as you allow Me, I will design your life so that you will become all that I have created you to be. You will become a glorious vessel of honor, and others will see the brilliance of the transformed life that I am creating in you. I desire to make something beautiful out of your life as you allow Me to work in you and through you says the Lord.

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www.awordinseason.info

www.TheVoiceOfProphecy.com

www.TheVoiceOfBreakthrough.com

 

 

#Blogwords, Front Porch Fellowship, #FPF, Sunday Devotion, The Master Potter, Laurie Roars, Elaine Tavolacci, Round Tree Pottery, Nolan Windholtz, Isaiah 61:3, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Isaiah 29:16, Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:1-4

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 4 March 2017 – CRICKETS

BLOGWORDS – Saturday 4 March 2017 – CRICKETS

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#Blogwords, Crickets

BLOGWORDS – Friday 3 March 2017 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – AND THEN THERE WERE NONE aka TEN LITTLE INDIANS by AGATHA CHRISTIE

BLOGWORDS – Friday 3 March 2017 – FIRST LINE FRIDAY – AND THEN THERE WERE NONE aka TEN LITTLE INDIANS by AGATHA CHRISTIE
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FIRST LINE FRIDAY – AND THEN THERE WERE NONE aka TEN LITTLE INDIANS by AGATHA CHRISTIE
 
Reading is My SuperPower
Bookworm Mama
Singing Librarian
Faithfully Bookish
Radiant Light
Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Fiction Aficionado
Bibliophile Reviews
Kathleen Denly
Lauraine’s Notes
With a Joyful Noise

 If you’d like to join us on your blog for First Line Fridays, shoot Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower an email and let her know!

 

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THE BLURB:    

One of the most famous and beloved mysteries from The Queen of Suspense—Agatha Christie—now a Lifetime TV movie.

“Ten . . .”

Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious “U. N. Owen.”

“Nine . . .”

At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead.

“Eight . . .”

Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . as one by one . . . they begin to die.

“Seven . . .”

Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?

 

THE FIRST LINE :   

In the corner of a first-class smoking carriage, Mr. Justice Wargrave, lately retired from the bench, puffed at a cigar and ran an interested eye through the political news in the Times.

 

MY THOUGHTS:    

Once upon a time, I played Doctor Anne Armstrong in my high school production of Ten Little Indians. I’ve loved Agatha Christie ever since.

 

 

GENRE:

Mystery / suspense

 

STARS:

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Fell in love with Agatha Christie over this one!

 

#Blogwords, First Line Friday, #FLF, And Then There Were None, Ten Little Indians, Agatha Christie

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 2 March 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DANA PRATOLA

BLOGWORDS – Thursday 2 March 2017 – CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DANA PRATOLA
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CHAT THURSDAY – AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DANA PRATOLA

“If you know nothing else about me, know this: Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.”

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“It’s not your mother’s Christian Fiction.”

 

rem:  Hullo Dana, welcome to Robin’s Little Nest! Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?

DANA:  I was born in New Jersey and am still here, but one day soon I’d love to move to a less expensive state, preferably one with NO SNOW

Wednesday Wisdom – INSPIRE

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” —1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)  The early days of my writing career tell the story of a journey mu…

Source: Wednesday Wisdom – INSPIRE

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 1 March 2017 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – SCREWTAPE LETTERS

BLOGWORDS – Wednesday 1 March 2017 – WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – SCREWTAPE LETTERS
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WREADING WEDNESDAY – FEATURED BOOK – SCREWTAPE LETTERS

 

 

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The Screwtape Letters by C.S.  Lewis is a classic masterpiece of religious satire that entertains readers with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.

 

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Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

 

 

 

 

#Blogwords, Wreading Wednesday, Featured Book, Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis